


locked closet doors

by anattemptatwordbending



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Angst, Dadza, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, irl fic but its still the characters not the people, not me projecting onto techno in the background, sbi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:13:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29065629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anattemptatwordbending/pseuds/anattemptatwordbending
Summary: “No, I-- No, Tommy,” Wilbur looked back at Techno desperately. What the fuck was he supposed to say? What the fuck-- his vision was spotty, he could vaguely feel himself shaking. No, no, how dare he panic when he was the one who hurt Tommy, how dare he when Tommy was trembling and desperate and scared and it was Wilbur’s fault.Wilbur just wanted to prank Tommy. He didn't want him to end up crying and shaking in the back of a closet.
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 45
Kudos: 1023





	locked closet doors

**Author's Note:**

> someone left nice comment and i was like _motivation_ and yea

It was just a prank. It was just a prank.

They’d been joking around. Tommy had stolen all of Wilbur’s beanies and replaced Techno’s copy of the Art of War with a teen romance. It was Tommy’s turn to be pranked-- they’d just been _playing._

Wilbur had thought of the idea. The perfect opportunity to get back. Phil was at work, and Tommy was sleeping. If Wilbur and Techno could get Tommy into the closet without him waking up, he’d be so confused.

They succeeded, Tommy slept like a brick. Wilbur pushed a chair in front of the door for good measure. “It’ll take him a second to realize he can get out,” Wilbur giggled. “Take that, beanie stealer.”

Techno rolled his eyes. Wilbur knew he didn’t really care about pranks, but was happy to do what Wilbur wanted. They both returned to their rooms to wait.

Half an hour later, Wilbur heard a strangled cry.

At first, he thought everything had worked as planned, that Tommy was just about to bounce out of his room and playfully punch Wilbur.

It took a minute for Wilbur to realize he wasn’t going to come out.

Footsteps in the hallway, and then a pause. “Wilbur,” Techno called, and he sounded scared.

Wilbur jumped up like he’d been shocked and stumbled to the room as fast as he could. 

Techno looked at him with wide eyes when he came through the door. His hands were shaking. Tommy was whimpering on the other side.

_Fuck._

Wilbur pushed away the chair and swung open the door. Tommy was curled up in the corner of the closet, trembling. He flinched away from Wilbur. “Please, please,” he said desperately. “Don’t leave me in here. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, I’ll do anything you want. Just please. I’ll work-- you can-- you can hit me,” his breath hitched. “I won’t tell anyone, just please not this.”

“No, I-- _No,_ Tommy,” Wilbur looked back at Techno desperately. What the fuck was he supposed to say? What the fuck-- his vision was spotty, he could vaguely feel himself shaking. No, no, how dare he panic when he was the one who hurt Tommy, how _dare_ he when Tommy was trembling and desperate and _scared_ and it was Wilbur’s fault.

Techno pulled out his phone with shaking hands, dialing. Soon Phil’s voice filled the room.

“What’s going on, are you okay?” Techno opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He shook his head, distressed, and held out the phone to Wilbur pleadingly.

“No-- not okay,” Wilbur managed out, eyes darting to Tommy staring at the phone with fear in his eyes. “Tommy, he’s--,” Tommy’s eyes widened. “He’s scared, he’s--,” Wilbur’s air ran out, and he couldn’t continue. Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

He hadn’t seen Tommy like this in a while. He didn’t want to ever see Tommy like this. He didn’t-- they were safe, he was safe, he was supposed to protect him. And look what he’d fucking done.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming. Hold on, just hold on.”

Tommy let out a terrified whimper, holding his hands over his head. Fuck.

“Tommy,” Wilbur choked out, handing the phone back to Techno. “We’re not gonna-- not gonna hurt you, Tommy. Never, never, never.”

Tommy didn’t believe him even a little.

“Let’s-- we can-- let’s get out of the closet,” Wilbur said. He backed out slowly.

“No!” Tommy screamed. “Don’t lock me in here alone again, _please,_ ” he stumbled over words. “I promise I’ll be good I promise. I’ll--”

“No,” Wilbur interrupted, and he knew he shouldn’t but he couldn’t listen to it anymore. “No, Tommy, you come out too, we’re not locking you in there.”

Tommy’s eyes darted around, like he was weighing his options. After a second, he darted out of the closet, scrambling to the other side of the room as far away from it as he could get. Wilbur tried to breathe, closing the closet. He vowed to never make Tommy go in there again.

“Just…” Tommy’s voice was quiet. “Just get it over with, okay? I know you’re gonna-- I know you’re upset. Just do what you want to do.”

Wilbur glanced at Techno. He looked sick.

“We’re not angry,” Techno whispered. “We’re not gonna… _do_ anythin’,” his voice shook, and Wilbur knew he was also thinking about what people had _done_ to make Tommy so scared.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Wilbur tried, because he knew it took far too much effort for Techno to get out those words. “I promise, we’re not angry.”

Tommy looked down, his voice dull. “People only lock me in the closet when they’re angry.”

“Tommy--,” Fuck. No, no no. He wasn’t-- People didn’t-- _Fuck._

Tommy had lived with them for months and he was still finding out fucked up, disgusting, inhumane-- He took a deep breath. No more panicking, Wilbur. You’re the big brother. It’s your job to take care of him.

Wilbur slowly sank to the floor, trying to seem less like a threat. Techno did too. He tried to keep his voice as calm and soft as possible. He tried to ignore the anger bubbling beneath his skin. 

“You’re safe now,” he said quietly. “I’ll never hurt you. Techno will never hurt you. Phil will never hurt you. I didn’t know that it would scare you. It was meant to be just a prank. The door was never locked. I _never_ planned to keep you in there. If I had known-- I never want to scare you, Tommy. Ever.” Why had he done that? Why hadn’t he been more careful? He should’ve been more careful.

Tommy paused. “Techno is angry,” he finally said.

Techno was tense. Wilbur could tell he was trying to control it too, but he wasn’t as practiced in it as Wilbur. “I’m sorry,” Techno said. “I’m not-- not angry at you.”

Tommy looked confused. “Then who?”

“Just… ya know when I get angry at Wilbur’s father?” he spat the word a little, like he always did.

“Yeah,” Tommy seemed to untense a little bit as more time passed and neither of them made a move to hurt him.

“I’m never angry at Wilbur, right? Just that he got hurt.”

“Mhm.”

“It’s like that,” Techno said carefully. “I’m just angry that people hurt you.”

Tommy fell silent. He seemed a little calmer. Or maybe Wilbur was seeing what he wanted to see. 

“Are you gonna send me back?” he asked after a minute. “Is that why you called Phil?”

“What-- no,” Wilbur said. “We’re not sending you back, Tommy.”

“Hm,” Tommy looked unconvinced.

“Phil’s home,” Techno said. A second later, Wilbur could hear footsteps on the stairs. Tommy’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. 

Phil stopped in the doorway, surveying Tommy curled up in the corner and Wilbur and Techno sitting next to each other on the opposite wall. His hair was ragged, like he’d been pulling at it.

“What happened? Are you okay?” his voice was weak, and Wilbur realized how much that phone call must have scared him.

“Wilbur and I messed up, and we scared Tommy,” Techno said calmly, but Phil would know by his shaking hands and white face that he was far from calm.

Tommy frowned. “No, it was my fault. Please don’t get mad at them. They didn’t mean to. I was just being really really pathetic.”

“Hey, I’m not mad at anyone, okay?” Phil said softly. “Techno, you need to fidget with something-- what about my hand, is that okay?” Wilbur moved over so Phil could sit between him and his brother, letting Techno gratefully take his hand in both of his own. Wilbur pressed closer to Phil, and Phil wrapped his other arm around him safely.

“Okay, Tommy, what would be best right now? Would you rather be left alone, or do you need food, or do you want to talk? Or if you want hugs or cuddles I can give those, or if you want just one of us that’s good too, or we could set up a movie or something, what do you think?”

Tommy looked surprised that he’d been given a choice. “Um…” he said quietly. “I don’t-- I’ve already been such a burden today, it’s okay. Thank you.”

“You had a panic attack, you get to decide what we do,” Techno said. “It’s like, the family rule.” 

Tommy traced the cracks in the floor. “Uh… Maybe a movie would be nice?”

“Movie it is.”

~~~

Techno was whispering to Phil, probably explaining what happened based on the way his shoulders tensed up. Tommy was curled close to Wilbur, and Wilbur couldn’t quite tell if he was asleep. The movie played in the background, takeout on the floor from Tommy’s favourite place.

“I’m glad you’re not sending me back,” Tommy whispered, so quiet that Wilbur might’ve missed it if he wasn’t listening.

“Mmm?”

“I like it here,” Tommy said quietly. “I… I wanna stay here.”

“I’m glad,” Wilbur whispered back, “‘Cause I like it with you here.”

“Always wanted to have a big brother,” Tommy murmured, and before Wilbur responded, his small breaths evened out. He was asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> if u felt any emotion other than annoyance while reading this why dont u leave a commente
> 
> someone left "constructive criticism" on my last fic and it made me v sad so just remember im just having fun ok? im not writing a novel anytime soon


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